Hey Ya'll.....Bill again,
Well, we got started on the chemo about 9:45 pm last night. It was a looonnnnggggg night! Initially, Erin had a severe headache which I think subsided about 11:00 pm after some pain med. The chemo is administered over 3 hours during which they must periodically come in and check her vital signs. Then when the chemo finished at 1:00 am, they started her on two units of blood because her H&H (red cells) were low. So, that was another four hours to complete with periodic checks to make sure she was okay. When the transfusion was complete around 5:00 am, they had to stick her arm to draw blood for labs which she hates. After that things quieted down for a while and she slept pretty much until 8:30 when she had some breakfast before starting the next round of chemo at 9:00 am. As I am writing this she is sleeping soundly which is a good thing. All-in-all, other than constant interruptions through the night, she did pretty well. No nausea and no stomach pain so far! When she completes this morning's round, she will have two more to go spaced 12 hours apart followed by the triple shot L-Asparaginase on Wednesday afternoon. If all goes well, hopefully, we will be headed home around dinner time on Wednesday to recover!
For those of you keeping score, her WBC was .5 yesterday, HGB ws 7.6, and her HCT 22.0. Her plateletes were 82. This is essentially day 8 of 9 for this round. We believe her counts are heading towards the bottom and then it will be a matter of waiting for them to come back up. Since it is a split round, we're not sure what to expect as far as how quickly her numbers will start to bounce back. The doctor told us yesterday that it may take longer this round just because her system has been hit so hard by all the prior rounds. Our prayer is that her counts will recover quickly with minimal side affects during the low cycle so she will have a few relatively good weeks before starting back to work in August. She will also have to be careful not to overdo (which I think will be very hard for her) for several months to really let her system recover from the chemical warfare that has been waged against it for the past 7 months.
As always we thank the Lord that he has blessed us with such an awesome group of prayer warriors to help us make this journey! We have truly felt His presence and yours throughout this process.
Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation go out to all of you.....blessings, Bill
"In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. " - John 16:23-27
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Mon 6/30
Hello all, We just got settled in our last room, 604! Yeah! They called about 1:00 and asked us to come in by 3:00. Then, in admissions, they told us how to fast-track the admissions process. We just laughed, only 6 months too late! Oh well, gotta giggle. Erin had a migraine last night at bedtime, but felt a lot better this morning. Now that we are back at Emory, she doesn't feel too good. Anticipation of chemo is no fun. Erin has about 42 more hours of chemo and a few weeks of recovery for her blood counts. Then they said it may be 6 months or more before her energy is back up to normal. Blessings on all you prayer warriors out there keeping the pager buzzing and helping keep Erin's name before the Lord. We are on the final lap, the home stretch, and we are ready to be done. Every step of this journey has been a challenge and a blessing. It may take me years to process all the lessons we have been taught. I sometimes have to chew on things awhile, ya know? I am sure we will draw on this experience for the rest of our lives as we continue to walk in faith. Thank you is such a small way to express ourselves for all you all have done for us! We love you! janet
"I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight." Psalm 16:2-3
"I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight." Psalm 16:2-3
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sunday 6/29
Greetings Friends.....it's Bill,
Erin continued to feel pretty well yesterday evening and today. She is done with her antibiotics and her stomach has not been hurting. Coincidence?....I think not. Betsy, one of Laura's new roommates visited and the girls played cards and watched movies in the afternoon. With Janet working, I'm getting to brush up on my cooking skills. So far, so good...no nausea that I am aware of! The girls asked me to make porcupine meatballs for dinner, which we had not made since they were little. They said that they were just like they remembered and they loved them. Amanda and Kyle stopped by just as we were finishing dinner and they had some as well. It was fun to just hang out and talk for a while.
Erin walked on the treadmill for a little while today. I think she gets tired pretty quickly these days. The doctor's told us that it will be six months after she completes chemo before she will have her normal energy levels back.
Please pray that we can get back in the hospital tomorrow and get on with finishing up the chemo. We checked today and they said they have five people waiting to get in and it is possible that Erin could get out-prioritized for a room. If we get in tomorrow, we should be finished by Wednesday and hopefully back home!
Well, you guys know the drill....please keep the prayers rolling as we know God hears and responds!
Blessings......Bill
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. " - James 5:16
Erin continued to feel pretty well yesterday evening and today. She is done with her antibiotics and her stomach has not been hurting. Coincidence?....I think not. Betsy, one of Laura's new roommates visited and the girls played cards and watched movies in the afternoon. With Janet working, I'm getting to brush up on my cooking skills. So far, so good...no nausea that I am aware of! The girls asked me to make porcupine meatballs for dinner, which we had not made since they were little. They said that they were just like they remembered and they loved them. Amanda and Kyle stopped by just as we were finishing dinner and they had some as well. It was fun to just hang out and talk for a while.
Erin walked on the treadmill for a little while today. I think she gets tired pretty quickly these days. The doctor's told us that it will be six months after she completes chemo before she will have her normal energy levels back.
Please pray that we can get back in the hospital tomorrow and get on with finishing up the chemo. We checked today and they said they have five people waiting to get in and it is possible that Erin could get out-prioritized for a room. If we get in tomorrow, we should be finished by Wednesday and hopefully back home!
Well, you guys know the drill....please keep the prayers rolling as we know God hears and responds!
Blessings......Bill
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. " - James 5:16
Saturday, June 28, 2008
A Good Day
Hey Y'all.....Bill again,
Erin felt pretty good today....slept in, had a good appetite and was able to hang out and play games. I can tell when she's feeling better 'cause she gets her feistiness back. Janet is working this weekend and we gave the "committee for wellness" (Janet's mom and sister) the day off. So, Laura and I were in charge for the day and I am happy to report that I think we did a respectable job....and Janet only called three times to check on us :))
Not much else to report today. Thanks for checking in with us and for all the prayer support. Hopefully, Erin will continue to feel well until we go back to the hospital on Monday and the second part of this round will not be as harsh as the first.
Blessings.... Bill
"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. " - Matthew 9:35
Erin felt pretty good today....slept in, had a good appetite and was able to hang out and play games. I can tell when she's feeling better 'cause she gets her feistiness back. Janet is working this weekend and we gave the "committee for wellness" (Janet's mom and sister) the day off. So, Laura and I were in charge for the day and I am happy to report that I think we did a respectable job....and Janet only called three times to check on us :))
Not much else to report today. Thanks for checking in with us and for all the prayer support. Hopefully, Erin will continue to feel well until we go back to the hospital on Monday and the second part of this round will not be as harsh as the first.
Blessings.... Bill
"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. " - Matthew 9:35
Friday, June 27, 2008
Fri 6/27
Hello Prayer Warriors, Erin is doing o.k. today. She had a terrible day yesterday with a lot of nausea and stomach pain. We think the multiple antibiotics she has been on are really hard on her stomach. She has had a better day today. She is eating and drinking better, maybe in part due to the threats I made about taking her back in if she didn't eat. God is watching over her every step of the way and takes good care of her, especially when I make threats. We so appreciate all of you out there praying for Erin, especially those of you who don't even know her. What a blessing it has been to see God's grace in these details. We are counting down the days until she is done and recovering. She has lots of plans to play when this is over. Bless you all for your love and support. God is good all the time! hugs, janet
"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." Psalm 34:7-10
"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." Psalm 34:7-10
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Home, Sweet Home
Greetings friends....Bill again,
We finished up with the chemo yesterday and got Erin home around 7:00 pm. The new drug was administered in the form of not one, not two, but three shots in the rumpus (not sure if that is the correct medical term) as opposed to all the others that have been administered through the central line. Anyway, Erin did not enjoy getting the shots and had a little bout of nausea on the ride home. She slept through the night until mid-morning and for the most part is doing pretty well today. Janet did not get called back in to work and was able to spend the day with Erin yesterday but is at work today. She said they are very busy today and within 30 minutes of getting to work she had delivered her first baby....no easing back into the job for her!!
The schedule for the rest of this round is recover at home for 5 days, then back to the hospital on Monday for 2 more days of chemo (essentially the same chemo cycle we did this week including the new drug). Hopefully, we'll be back home next Wednesday and then recovering for 3 weeks. And that will complete the chemo protocol!!! After that we continue to pray for no relapse and Erin will go on a monthly clinic visit schedule to get check ups. As you all know, it has been a long journey as we close in on the 7-month mark but we are thankful to have arrived at this point with hope that Erin is cured and can resume a semi-normal life! We recognize that there is still a long way to go but know that with God's help and your faithful prayer support we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
We pray God's richest blessings on each of you today and always! - Bill
"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another." - John 1:16
We finished up with the chemo yesterday and got Erin home around 7:00 pm. The new drug was administered in the form of not one, not two, but three shots in the rumpus (not sure if that is the correct medical term) as opposed to all the others that have been administered through the central line. Anyway, Erin did not enjoy getting the shots and had a little bout of nausea on the ride home. She slept through the night until mid-morning and for the most part is doing pretty well today. Janet did not get called back in to work and was able to spend the day with Erin yesterday but is at work today. She said they are very busy today and within 30 minutes of getting to work she had delivered her first baby....no easing back into the job for her!!
The schedule for the rest of this round is recover at home for 5 days, then back to the hospital on Monday for 2 more days of chemo (essentially the same chemo cycle we did this week including the new drug). Hopefully, we'll be back home next Wednesday and then recovering for 3 weeks. And that will complete the chemo protocol!!! After that we continue to pray for no relapse and Erin will go on a monthly clinic visit schedule to get check ups. As you all know, it has been a long journey as we close in on the 7-month mark but we are thankful to have arrived at this point with hope that Erin is cured and can resume a semi-normal life! We recognize that there is still a long way to go but know that with God's help and your faithful prayer support we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
We pray God's richest blessings on each of you today and always! - Bill
"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another." - John 1:16
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
So Far, So Good....Home Tonight?
Hello friends.....Bill here,
Erin did pretty well yesterday and last night and there are several praises. The doctors were able to straighten out the loop in her port using a wire and get it oriented correctly late yesterday morning. Erin said it was not fun but it is way better than having to get it replaced. She received blood, had her second chemo dose in the early afternoon, had a late lunch and slept through most of the afternoon. Although she initially did not want any dinner, I think the smell of good food from Boston Market got her appetite going and she had a light dinner. No nausea...another praise! Laura visited for a while and then went to hear author William Young speak at Buckhead church. For those of you who have read "The Shack", you know what a cool book that is. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it as a great work of fiction that provides an interesting perspective on God (it's very sad and tough going in the first part, but a great read). I will be interested to hear about his talk from Laura.
Last night I thought we were going to get kicked out of our room for making too much noise! Amanda and Kyle came to hang out and Tom brought his backgammon set and between rousing backgammon games and flipping between Georgia baseball and Wipeout we got a little rowdy! I'm not sure what it says about us when we laugh so hard watching people on TV getting physically pummelled?? I told Erin we might have to stay tonight to watch Georgia in the final game since they got blown out last night...she said no way! So, we expect to get her last 3 hour dose at 1:00 pm and a single shot of the L-Asparaginase (the new drug) at 5:00 pm and should be released an hour later. Please pray for no reaction or side effects with the new drug so we can get home tonight. This morning Erin said that the rib pain is improved...yet another praise!
Janet was supposed to start back to work today which was a real emotional challenge for her to be away from Erin while she is still in the hospital. It turns out things were slow today at the baby factory so they let her go out on call (in case they need her) and she was able to come be with Erin at least for a while..... so that's another praise! Along with praying for Janet to have a smooth return to work, please pray that God will equip me to pick up more of the active support role for Erin over the next few weeks while she completes this round and recovers! Janet has set such a high standard of care, it will be hard to maintain. Fortunately, I know I will have family helping me and the awesome prayer support of all you dear friends to carry us through!
Sorry to be so long-winded...I will close for now and leave you with my favorite scripture which I have posted in the past but it remains the verse I refer to over and over again....
Blessings......Bill
Erin did pretty well yesterday and last night and there are several praises. The doctors were able to straighten out the loop in her port using a wire and get it oriented correctly late yesterday morning. Erin said it was not fun but it is way better than having to get it replaced. She received blood, had her second chemo dose in the early afternoon, had a late lunch and slept through most of the afternoon. Although she initially did not want any dinner, I think the smell of good food from Boston Market got her appetite going and she had a light dinner. No nausea...another praise! Laura visited for a while and then went to hear author William Young speak at Buckhead church. For those of you who have read "The Shack", you know what a cool book that is. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it as a great work of fiction that provides an interesting perspective on God (it's very sad and tough going in the first part, but a great read). I will be interested to hear about his talk from Laura.
Last night I thought we were going to get kicked out of our room for making too much noise! Amanda and Kyle came to hang out and Tom brought his backgammon set and between rousing backgammon games and flipping between Georgia baseball and Wipeout we got a little rowdy! I'm not sure what it says about us when we laugh so hard watching people on TV getting physically pummelled?? I told Erin we might have to stay tonight to watch Georgia in the final game since they got blown out last night...she said no way! So, we expect to get her last 3 hour dose at 1:00 pm and a single shot of the L-Asparaginase (the new drug) at 5:00 pm and should be released an hour later. Please pray for no reaction or side effects with the new drug so we can get home tonight. This morning Erin said that the rib pain is improved...yet another praise!
Janet was supposed to start back to work today which was a real emotional challenge for her to be away from Erin while she is still in the hospital. It turns out things were slow today at the baby factory so they let her go out on call (in case they need her) and she was able to come be with Erin at least for a while..... so that's another praise! Along with praying for Janet to have a smooth return to work, please pray that God will equip me to pick up more of the active support role for Erin over the next few weeks while she completes this round and recovers! Janet has set such a high standard of care, it will be hard to maintain. Fortunately, I know I will have family helping me and the awesome prayer support of all you dear friends to carry us through!
Sorry to be so long-winded...I will close for now and leave you with my favorite scripture which I have posted in the past but it remains the verse I refer to over and over again....
Blessings......Bill
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. " - Jeremiah 29:11